BooksBarbecue
Back The Lying House
Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. 85
  92. 86
  93. 87
  94. 88
  95. 89
  96. 90
  97. 91
  98. 92
  99. 93
  100. 94
  101. Epilogue
  102. Acknowledgments and a Personal Note
  103. Excerpt

There were still things Greg would change, a contour here, window size there, maybe the placement of a door. All right, it was well-constructed. But bottom line: He was damned proud of this house. It took a lot of their hard-earned savings, the little money they’d inherited, and a lot of sweat but he and Jenn had made it happen.

Our forever home.

The strong scent of detergent greeted him as moved by the washer and dryer through the laundry room. He walked into the living room, softly lit by the lamp Jenn had left on. He’d leave it on because she wouldn’t be home for well over an hour.

That’s how it was on her book club nights.

He made his way to the kitchen. It was spotless. The counters gleamed in the dimmed cabinet lighting Jenn had left on and Greg welcomed the tranquility.

He opened the ceramic jar with the peanut butter cookies she’d made then went to the fridge for milk. Crunching on a cookie, he read notes written in Jenn’s neat script on the calendar pinned to the wall next to the fridge door.

Jake was at Carter’s tonight for a sleepover.

Right, Jenn had told him about that yesterday. Jake had a dental appointment coming up. Greg shook his head recalling Jenn’s warning: “He may need braces.”

A big expense when things are getting tight.

Taking another cookie Greg saw that Jenn had school meetings, a yoga class, then some kind of seminar, conference thing in Tonawanda with the optometrist she worked for.

Greg grabbed more cookies and, milk bottle in hand, went down the hall to his office. Standing at his desk he looked over his copies of the drawings, to familiarize himself with the next stage of the job tomorrow at Phase 2 of Pine Castle Park.

Then he glanced at the print-out of Kyle’s email. He was continually urging him to move to Phoenix. “The building biz is booming in AZ, bro.” The notion of steady work and no snow was appealing to the point that Greg and Jenn had considered moving there. But they weren’t sure because Buffalo was their home.

Greg glanced at the other letters and printed emails officially informing him of the contracts his company had bid for and lost out on. Sure, the region’s economy had taken some knocks over the years but with that never-say-die attitude of Western New Yorkers, Greg believed things would improve. But missing out on contracts deepened his fear that if things didn’t pick up for his crew soon they’d be in real trouble.

His phone vibrated. There was no name displayed but he knew the number and read the text.

Think about it, Greg. We’d be great together.

He didn’t respond.